Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thursday morning was one of the more peaceful and inspiring starts to the day that I've had in this place. I had the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful performance by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra's string quartet. The Canberra Symphony Orchestra are one of the great classical music groups in my electorate, and they will celebrate their 75th anniversary next year. I was pleased to join the Minister for Finance, Senator Katy Gallagher, to announce an extra $4.1 million for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra in May, before the federal budget, with an ongoing $1.3 million each year as a sustainable funding model. It has long been known that the CSO have been chronically underfunded, particularly over the 10 years of the previous government.

I have seen firsthand the work that the Canberra Symphony Orchestra undertakes. They are known for their diversity of programming, performing work by 45 per cent Australian composers, eight per cent First Nations composers and 28 per cent female composers, which is more than any other major orchestra in Australia. They also run important community programs such as Painting with Parkinson's, Diverse abilities and Heartstrings as well as programs in aged-care homes around the territory. These are critical community music events around Canberra, and they really help people to experience the music. I am so proud to have the Canberra Symphony Orchestra in my electorate, and I'm proud to be part of a government that is adequately funding them and allowing them to thrive. I'm also proud that our government has committed $5 million to revitalising the Gorman Arts Centre in my electorate, which is a vibrant hub for Canberra artists and will be celebrating its centenary this year.

Our Minister for the Arts is passionate about ensuring that Australia's arts sector gets the funding it needs to thrive, and our special envoy, the member for Macquarie, is certainly leading the charge for better recognition of community arts. With these passionate members of parliament at the helm of our arts policy, it's no wonder that the Albanese Labor government has invested heavily in the local arts sector.

For arts to continue to thrive in Australia, we must have a strong arts workforce. This means investing in national arts training organisations, including those within the ARTS8 group. This includes the National Institute of Dramatic Art, the Australian Film Television and Radio School, NAISDA Dance College, the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, the Australian Ballet School, the National Institute of Circus Arts, the Australian National Academy of Music and the Australian Youth Orchestra. Our government values these organisations because of the importance of nurturing and recognising young creative talent to be able to get Australians to see Australian stories on screen and on the stage.

In the last budget, the Albanese Labor government committed an additional $115.2 million over four years to support the long-term financial sustainability of the national arts training organisations. A further $36.4 million in indexed, ongoing annual funding will be provided to these organisations from 2028-29 to ensure the viability of these organisations well into the future. This will allow for future great Australian talent like ARTS8 trained Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving to study and develop their craft.

Our most recent budget also provides $14½ million to the Australian Children's Television Foundation to support the creation of Australian children's screen content. As a parent of small children, I know how important that is. The foundation has funded iconic television shows like Round the Twist and Dance Academy. Continuing to provide funding to the foundation means that children in Australia will be able to watch shows that have been created just for them.

Our treasury of Australia's audiovisual heritage, the National Film and Sound Archive, has also received funding in the most recent federal budget. Their collection goes from film from the 1890s to digital games and reflects our cultural identity and technical achievements. The Albanese Labor government has provided the National Film and Sound Archive with $9.3 million over four years to upgrade and extend their facilities for the storage and preservation of nitrate film and images.

Investment in the arts is investment in the cultural preservation and development of Australia, and I'm proud that we're committed to funding it, including right here in my community of Canberra. Canberra is a community that really values the arts, and I was so pleased to make those announcements I mentioned as part of an Albanese Labor government that recognises the importance of arts for every Australian.

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